Hunan

This clubhouse for the well-heeled residents of the area was opened by Y. S. Peng (aka Mr. Peng), who came to Britain from Taiwan in the 1970s and opened Hunan in Pimlico in 1982. The restaurant had a point of difference from the start – namely, its focus not on Cantonese but on Hunanese and Taiwanese cooking too. Today, Mr. Peng’s oenophile son Michael runs the show, wooing serious drinkers with rare wines, keenly priced. There’s no menu; you’re encouraged to “leave it to us.” Sample dishes: quail egg dumpling, clams with Thai basil or cuttlefish with spicy aubergine salad.